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Chapter Seven
The Space Between
You cannot quit me so quickly
Is no hope in you for me
No corner you could squeeze me
But I got all the time for you, love
The Space Between
The tears we cry
Is the laughter keeps us coming back for more
The Space Between
The wicked lies we tell
And hope to keep us safe from the pain
But will I hold you again?
- The Dave Matthews Band
Their timing coming back is perfect. Cam, Jack and Sweets barely have time to react to the duo walking in together before the doctor appears in the entrance behind them. Cam immediately gets up and walks towards him, "Dr. Meyers."
"Dr. Saroyan." His eyes scan the little group surrounding him. "We have her stabilized and settled in. Now, we have a waiting game for the next -"
"Can we see her now?" Angela blurts
"- few days." The doctor nods at Angela. "Yes, but only two people in the room at a time. "Also," he looks at Hodgins and Booth, "which of you is Seeley Booth?"
"I am, why?" Seeley feels all eyes shift to him. He can feel his cheeks turning red, less because of the attention, more because he's suddenly remembered what fact the doctor is going to say.
"You're listed as her medical proxy. In the event that -"
"I know!"
He doesn't mean to shout, but the last thing he wants to think about is Bones not waking up.
"I know. Can we just see her now?"
"Yes, who would you like to go first?"
The irony of the situation isn't lost on him.
"Angela and Hodgins." he mutters.
"Booth, no, you should -"
"You're her best friend, Angela. Besides," he tries to smile, "Maybe you can put in a good word for me?"
Angela swallows hard and squeezes his hand.
"Yes. I'll let her know."
Hodgins smiles and places an arm around his wife while Cam looks relieved and Sweets contemplative.
"The visits will need to be short."
Booth nods, knowing once he's in with her they'll have to kill him to take him out of her room.
As soon as the doctor has escorted the couple out of sight, Cam turns to Booth.
"So, should I start working on administration now about you staying overnight?"
She says it with a smile and an arch of her brow, but Booth is too lost in his own thoughts to appreciate her humor. He answers distractedly.
"No, it can wait until after you've seen her."
Cam and Sweets exchange a glance. Sweets opens his mouth, but after a silent admonishment from Cam quickly shuts it.
"Were you able to get a hold of Max?"
"Yeah. Russ was home."
Cam nods.
"I guess Max will want to see him also."
"Yeah...Russ, too."
Sweets can't keep silent anymore.
"It seems you and Ms. Montenegro have developed a peaceful accord."
"Using fancy words doesn't change the fact that you're twelve, Sweets."
Cam stifles a laugh.
"It is nice to see Angela isn't trying to scratch your eyes out."
"Yeah..." He smiles gratefully at Cam. "I'm glad Bones has her - has had all of you while -"
Cam cuts him off, "It's not important now. Like Sweets said." She shoots Sweets a quick glare, "The most important thing right now is Dr. Brennan."
Sweets nods sagely, "Oh, absolutely."
A sudden disturbance at the nurses' station derails further conversation,
"I don't give a damn about hospital policy! My daughter is in this hospital and you had better start telling me where!
Cam and Booth look at each other and say at the same time:
"Max."
The two hastily make their way to the nurses' station. Booth calls out to him.
"Max!"
The older man turns and Booth balks at the absolute terror in Max's eyes as he rushes towards him.
"Booth, where's Tempe! How is she? What - "
"She's alive, Max."
Max grabs Booth's arm, "You're supposed to protect her, Booth! What the hell happened!"
Cam realizes Booth's silence has to do with his own sense of guilt, and answers Max calmly - but quickly.
"She on her way into work when her car was hit by a drunk driver."
The weight of Cam's words seem to sink Max into a slump. He lets go of Booth's arm. For the first time it occurs to Booth that if Max had lived a normal man's life, he would have been collecting social security already.
"You said she's alive...but it's bad, isn't it."
The two men look at each other, and Max sees the answer on Booth's face before Booth says a word.
"She's considered to be in critical but stable condition, Max. She made it through the initial surgeries, and is in the intensive care unit."
Cam's calm, caring voice drains even more strength from Max. Booth finds himself putting his arms around him.
"Bones is gonna make it, Max. She's a fighter and stubborn - just like her dad."
Booth feels Max hug him back and realizes the man is crying. So, he keeps his arms around him.
"She's gonna get through it, Max, she's gonna pull through."
He feels Max nod against his shoulder before pulling away. Neither of them acknowledge the dampness on Booth's shirt or the Max's too bright eyes.
"Why don't we go back to the waiting room and then you and Max can see Dr. Brennan when Angela and Hodgins come back."
It sounds reasonable, but Booth's heart pounds in his chest. Go see Bones with Max?
"Max will know," he thinks, "because he will feel it. Every betrayal, every slight and hurt to Bones will radiate off me and he will know that he should kill me instead of hug me, know that I am not worthy to be in the same room with her."
However, he doesn't voice his fears. Instead he nods slowly and tries to smile. He feels Camille touch his arm, and realizes she does know his fear. She keeps her hand on his arm all the way back to the waiting room.
Once there Max sits slowly, shoulders hunched, head down. Booth doesn't want to sit and wanders the room until he finally situates himself leaning against a wall, staring at, but not watching, the large TV built high up into the wall opposite him.
With a few minutes a nurse has escorted Angela and Hodgins back to the waiting room. Hodgins has an arm around her shoulders, almost as if he's holding her up. Cam thinks perhaps he is. The tearful hysteria is gone now, instead there is a numbness to her grief. She is usually so passionate, even when upset or sad, but now she is flat, still, even though her eyes show she's been crying. She sees Booth and suddenly pulls away from Hodgins and strides towards him. Cam steps forward to block the other woman from attacking, but instead Angela launches herself into Booth's arms - as much as a six months pregnant can launch. Automatically, Booth's arms go around her. Angela hugs him tightly, as whispers muffled words against his chest.
"She needs you, Booth. She needs YOU. You need to tell her everything..." with that, she lifts her head up to look at him. "She needs a reason to come back."
She stares intently into his eyes until Booth nods.
"I will Ang, I will."
With that she takes a deep breath and lets go. Amazingly, Hodgins is right there, hand on her back.
"Honey, I'm taking you home."
"No."
"Dr. B wouldn't want you wearing yourself out and risking the baby."
Booth nods. "She'd never forgive herself."
The words sink in.
"Okay, Hodgie, let's go home."
"I understand there are a number of you to see her."
Booth looks over at the nurse and nods.
"Sweets, go with Max."
Sweets is startled, but the weariness in Booth's voice keeps Sweets from protest. Swallowing his fear - the man is a murderer, even if it was about protecting his family...
Booth walks Sweets over to Max.
"Max, Dr. Sweets is going to go with you to see Bones, alright."
Max looks up slowly.
"Don't you want to see her?"
"I will. You're her father, you should go first."
Max looks as if to protest, but then just sighs and stands up.
"Alright then, come on kid."
Sweets and Max leave with the nurse and Booth sinks into Max's seat. Cam sits next to him.
"Guess we're next."
"No. Just you Camille -"
"- Seeley -"
"I need to see her alone."
He is staring straight ahead, but Cam isn't about to let him go in by himself.
"I can't...see her alone."
"You're a doctor and a coroner -"
"Exactly."
At that he looks at her.
"I can't change my training Booth. I can't shut off what I see. It's why doctors aren't supposed to work on family - "
She didn't mean for there to be tears, but she can feel them prickling in her eyes. Booth takes her hand.
"I'll go in with you,"
Cam wipes a few tears from her cheek.
"I always knew, you know."
"Knew what?"
"That you and Dr. Brennan had this spark, this connection that couldn't be broken."
"Until I did."
Despite her own mixed feelings on the matter, Cam cringes at the self loathing in his voice. She can guess how Seeley has ended up with Hannah - the man has never understood that just because the sex is good, it doesn't necessarily mean that those two people are falling in love. As for the rest of it, well he and Dr. Brennan could address that when Dr. Brennan made it through this physical crisis.
"Booth, you stretched your connection pretty far, but, if you had broken it, you wouldn't be here now."
Booth is grateful for Camille's words - stretched, but not broken. He could work with that. Hopefully stretched like a rubber band and not like the elastic in his swim trunks that always seemed to wear out so that they'd slide down his hips when swimming.
Cam feels the squeeze of Booth's hand and returns it. It's not something she thinks about often, Seeley's hands. Her friend was definitely good in bed. She wonders if it's odd to hope Temperance Brennan gets the chance to experience the talents she'd once enjoyed. She sighs. Weird or not, she sends a silent prayer that Brennan survives this, not just for all that she gives to the world, but to experience being Seeley's partner in every sense of the word. Cam, unlike Seeley, knows the difference between sex with care and making love. She and Seeley had never been in love, and she'd known it. However, she did know him, the way long time friends do. The loyalty Seeley had shown Dr. Brennan had clued Cam in that there had to be something special about the woman. As for Dr. Brennan, it didn't take long to see that while the world saw her as the brilliant, world renowned, forensic anthropologist, Seeley Booth was the center of Dr. Brennan's world. Ironically, Dr. Brennan seemed unaware that he was. He just was. Now, if she could just make it through this, maybe they'd both get the chance be what they always should have been.
Lost in thought, neither of them notice when Sweets and Max return.
Max is being held up between Sweets and the nurse. As they ease the man into a chair Booth is startled by the noise, looks up and is alarmed by the heavy breathing and pale face of Max.
"What's wrong with Max?"
"He, uh, kind of lost it in there. They gave him a sedative. "
Cam had glanced up right after Booth, and gives Booth a worried look. Booth swallows hard and then gets up and walks over to Max.
"She's going to be fine, Max. Things aren't as bad as they look."
"You haven't seen her."
Max's words are quiet and flat. Booth has never seen him look so defeated. He takes the man's hand.
"I don't have to see her, I know Bones, and I know she WILL make it through. Don't you dare give up on her, you understand?"
It's clear the sedative is taking effect as Max nods slowly.
Booth straightens up and turns to Cam. His eyes are dark and determined.
"Let's go."
